Post 17 in Lifting up the Soul
The meek will he guide in justice;
And the meek will he teach his way. Psalm 25:9
David humbled himself before God. He did so by admitting his sins and turning from them. He humbled himself when he refused to kill King Saul. David knew his place. When he was anointed by Samuel, he did not attempt to assassinate Saul and take over. David knew God had a throne waiting for him, and that he was to serve in his present role, whatever that looked like, until the time God was ready for him to rule Israel. David walked a fine line because of this, and God did not remove his obstacles. The challenges David faced taught him how to lead while still bowing to God’s will. Saul did not learn how to do this. When Saul first learned he was to be king, he hid himself from Samuel and the people. Instead of accepting God’s role, he ran from it. Later, he took the kingdom God offered him and refused to obey Him.
“Meek” in this passage is translated “humble” in some versions because being meek and being humble arise from the same way of thinking about oneself. Meek thinking is not the sense of unworthiness one feels when she is ashamed. Meekness has to do with perceiving the role one is given. When Jesus came to earth as a man, he accepted and lived within that role. He humbled himself by not taking on God’s power and by allowing the Father to guide Him where He was to go and to tell Him what he was to do. Jesus shows us how to walk the path on which the Father places us. The role of a woman is one such role. God made wives the “weaker” vessel (1 Peter 3:7). Women are not as strong as men, in general. God directs husbands to treat their wives as not being as strong—to have regard toward their frailty, just as God has regard for all mankind’s frailty. We can either accept our role as being weaker, or we can rebel against that. There are many examples in our current world of women who are not accepting their role, wanting a man’s role instead. In fact, we have so many examples today of rebelliousness against the gender roles God has set down for us. But David shows us that the role of God’s males and females is to work within the position He has given us. Throughout life, God places us in roles. As we become aware of our changing role—be it daughter, mother, teacher, caregiver, boss, worker, patient, or widow—we work to accept it so that God can show us our very best life.
God cannot lead a woman who doesn’t accept her God-given role. She must consider herself through her biological and societal roles in which God places her. And to lift up her soul to God, she must consider herself through her relationship to her Heavenly Father first. How strong is she without Him? What can she accomplish if He is not with her? How does she take the correct path in life without His knowledge and guidance? If He knows what is best, then submitting to His lead will afford her only great success, whatever that looks like. Like Mary Magdalene, if she’s the one He uses to wipe His Son’s beautiful feet, then she will glory in that service. Her faith cannot be based on the belief that God is giving her roles that bring her shame. The cross was the place of greatest shame. Jesus already went there. Our own God took our deserved shame and showed us that shaming us is never our Creator’s aim. No service to God is meant to debase or devalue us; a meek person rests safe in this truth. A meek-hearted woman doesn’t exalt herself. She sees God’s value of herself. She sees herself through His eyes. It is then that she thrives in the position(s) in which He places her. She will serve in any capacity. She sees the power of God and His work of the ages across time and feels small in its scope. She is one tiny being in the whole of God’s creation and stands ready to serve her Creator as one of many servants. If she chooses to refuse the role He gives her, attempting to exalt herself, she’s still small in the scheme of this existence.
Being humble and keeping to one’s role does not mean a Christian serves without consideration for her well-being. David shows us his concern for his life and his suffering. Rather, if we could look back on our suffering and see the lesson that emerges from submitting to God’s way, can we learn to react differently to what we are enduring? What seems so very wrong and hurtful in the moment is different from the other side, and we can see that it was the right thing. Faith in God is the progression of learning to use this distant sight to accept that it is the best way. The Christian woman sees her situation as God’s best role for her. Even the tough times when she may suffer and want to stop the suffering, she will not shirk or despise the role He gives her. Meekness is trusting implicitly that God is in control of even the ugliest situation, and that a daughter of the King can sink down or rise up in complete confidence that she is not forgotten or unloved.
Precious daughter of the King, you were made for loving deeply and continually. God did not put you on this earth to harm and neglect you. He is watching over you and placing you in the right scenarios to grow your faith. He wants you to lift up your soul to Him and consider that He is at the helm of your life. What would you say if He told you about the next difficult situation you will endure? What if he told you about it beforehand and asked you if you would be willing to go through it to help someone else come to Him? He knows your heart, and He sees the power of your example. He values your life and your heart more than any earthly mother, father, husband, or friend can value you. Can you endure for Him? Praise God for giving you such a beautiful spirit!
Here are some passages that show us how God works with the humble/meek.
…who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not; that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end: and lest thou say in thy heart, My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember Jehovah thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth; that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as at this day. Deuteronomy 8:16-18
beholding your chaste behavior coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 1 Peter 3:2-4
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you. James 4:8-10
This is the seventeenth post in the Lifting Up the Soul study from Psalm 25. Subscribe to WomEnCourage to be notified as this study continues.